Finding Home
by SupremeZombieLord
Summary: A story about Canadian exchange student, Ash-Lyn Lewis. Her host family is the Weasleys. What will happen during her stay at Hogwarts? Is she the long lost daughter of Sirius Black? Read to find out! Eventual Fred/OC
1. Introduction

**So, I've been brainstorming this for about three months, just started writing last Friday. Tell me what you think, should I continue?**

**Finding Home**

**Intro**

Because this is all about me, Ash-Lyn Lewis, I am going to tell the absolute truth. No lies, No bull crap. This notebook is written in invisible ink that I got from one of my best friends, Carrie. We're in the same grade level. I don't want anyone snooping around and reading things that they shouldn't.

But this is not the point.

I am a witch. Not Wiccan. Not some weird cult member freak.

I was born a witch. Only, I didn't find out until my eleventh birthday. I remember how it all went, clear as day. I'd been removed from my tenth foster home; apparently my foster parents couldn't handle what they called 'pranks'. Turned out all the 'pranks' my foster families complained about, weren't pranks at all. It was just uncontrolled magic. Well, now I can control it.

Anyways.

My caseworker led me to one of the rooms where I knew they held important meetings and introduced me to a woman called Professor Vita Turner, the principal of some posh boarding school. My caseworker, an annoying middle aged woman who I'd nicknamed Old Bat, told me I'd gotten a full scholarship and would be going shopping for school supplies with the Professor. Old Bat was acting stranger than usual that day and left me alone with Professor Turner. She explained to me that I was a witch, had been born a witch, and had a place in her magic school.

And now, three years later, I live permanently at the Canadian Magical Institute. For once in my life I belong, with people just like me.

Where are my parents, you ask? My mother died in a car accident when I was four. I don't know where or who my father is. I can barely remember either of them. I know he had hair as black as mine; it was messy. She had brown eyes. I remember a loud motorcycle, a shaggy dog.

And that's it.

Sometimes I dream of a woman with red hair holding a baby, and I'm not sure if it's a repressed memory or just my imagination.

I hope it's real.

I applied for an exchange student program, hoping to be accepted into Hogwarts, Britain's top magic school. A boy named Harry Potter goes there. He's famous throughout the wizarding world because at the age of one he defeated the darkest wizard ever known in our world.  
>A girl two grade levels above me was acccepted last year, and she told me it was one of the best experiences she'd ever had. Carrie applied too, once she found out they had Quidditch teams. I still don't really understand much about Quidditch, other than it's a sport played on brooms.<p>

"Miss Lewis, have you heard anything I just said?" Mr Fletchley, the vice principal, glared at me. I was sitting in his office for reasons I can't remember. "I'll take that blank expression as a no. I know you have A.D.D., but you have to pay attention. This is important."

"Sorry." I smiled lamely and sat up straight.

"I got an owl this morning from the Headmaster of Hogwarts." He sighed, as if he had bad news to give me. "And I'm sorry to say that a week from now, you will travel by the Floo Network, with Professor Turner of course, to the home of your host family."

"You mean I got in?!" I jumped out of my chair and hugged Mr Fletchley. "Oh man! I wish I could leave tonight! What about Carrie? Did she get in?"

"They only had one spot left, and you got it. I talked to her right before calling you in. DOn't brag too much, Ash. Carrie is feeling pretty bad." he led me to the door. "Congratulations. I know you'll do well."

"Thanks, Mr Fletchley." I hurried off to the cafeteria for something to eat.

The reason some of us stay at the Institute is because we have nowhere else to go. There are three houses, one for girls, one for boys, and one for summer staff. The program began several years before I came, because a boy had died. He'd lived on the streets in the summer; some gang stabbed him and left him in a ditch not far from the Institute. He was thirteen, the same age as I am now.

Professor Turned and I left early; she wanted to take me out for a birthday breakfast before our scheduled Floo trip. We usually went somewhere on my birthday anyways. Once we'd ordered our food, she began telling me about the family I'd be staying with. There were five kids. The father worked for the Ministry of Magic, the mother kept the house in order.

"You have nothing to worry about. I've known them for years; they're the _nicest_ family. They may not have tons of money, but they do have a lot of love and value family and friendship. You will be fine." Professor Turner gave me a smile and we ate. I was anxious, nervous, excited, and scared all at once.

"What if they don't like me?"

"Oh, don't be silly. Of course they will. The little girl, Ginny, has always wanted a sister. With six older brothers, can you blame her? Oh, she will just love having you around!" she left some crumpled Muggle money on the table and we made our way out the door. I held on to her arm and we disapparated into her office at the Institute, right next to the giant fire place.

"Where are we headed?" I grabbed a handful of Floo powder and stapped carefully into the fireplace, my duffel bag thrown over my left shoulder.

"The Burrow."


	2. Chapter One

**Finding Home**

**Chapter One: Meeting The Host Family**

"Mummy! Mummy! She's here!" a little girl screeched excitedly.

"Shut up, Gin!" said a boy. I opened my eyes, stepping out of their fireplace.

"So _that's_ her?" another boy said. He stood next to a boy who lookeed exactly like him. Twins. Great.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I eyed him suspiciously, somewhat offended by his tone.

"Oh, be nice, Fred. Remember what Mum said?" a younger boy nudged him, Fred, in the side. "I'm Ron. That's Ginny, she's the youngest."

"Hiii! I've been waiting for _hours_! you can just ignore Fred. He's just mad because Mummy made him de-gnome the garden. You won't _believe_ what they've done this morning!" Ginny grinned, "I'll go get Dad and Mummy."

"Well, you know who Fred is. I'm his twin, George. The nicer, funnier, better looking one." George grinned, holding a hand out for me to shake. I just stared at him. They all had red hair, and plenty of freckles.

Where was Professor Turner?

A middle-aged man, who had the same red hair and freckles as his children, walked in. "Hello, Ash-Lyn! I'm Arthur Weasley. Hope the twins here haven't been bothering you."

"Oh, no. Ron was introducing us." I smiled politely and looked around. Dishes were stacked on the counter, putting themselves in their rightful places. It wasn't messy, but cluttered.

"Just got a message from Professor Turner. She's said something's come up and she'll see you next summer. We've made up a bed for you; hope you don't mind sharing a room with Ginny. C'mon. I'll give you a tour."

_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_x_

Ginny sat on her bed and watched as I unpacked my things. It didn't annoy me, surprisingly, when she asked me why I had no parents.

"I had parents. Everyone does; it's just mine aren't around. You're lucky, see. I've always wanted to have older brothers, a family like yours. Oh, well." I shrugged. "You're starting Hogwarts this year, right?"

"Yeah. I can't wait! I hope I get into Gryffindor!" Seeing the puzzled look on my face, she explained briefly that there were four houses. Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Gryffindor. Her whole family had been in Gryffindor for centuries!

Mrs Weasley called everyone down to the kitchen for supper; that's when I met Percy and the famous Harry Potter. The twins and Ron 'rescued' him last night in a flying car. He was scrawny, and real pale. His clothes appeared four sizes too big, and I was reminded of foster kids I'd known.

"Help yourselves, Harry and Ash-Lyn. There's plenty to go around." Mrs Weasley smiled, kind eyes twinkling. And we did. I loaded my plate with chicken, potatoes, corn, and gravy. Harry ate like there was no tomorrow, like he'd had nothing to eat in ages. I wonder, what's his home life like? It must be harsh.

"Ash-Lyn? Mum's asked what kind of pie you'd like." George nudged my arm.

"Oh, sorry. I wasn't paying attention."

"That's ok. Pecan, or lemon merangue?" Mrs Weasley asked.

"Pecan! My absolute favourite. I could eat it all day."

"We've done that." Fred winked, "Duplication charm."

"And you'll not be doing it again, either!" Mrs Weasley scolded and handed me a slice of pecan pie. I took a bite; it was the best thing I'd ever tasted. I ate it as slowly as possible, with the twins laughing at me. Ginny told them to shut up and go away, when Mrs Weasley sent her, Ron, and Herry off to bed. Fred and George followed suite not long after. I guess staying up all night to rescue someone with a flying car can tire a person out.

After talking to Percy about school rules and regulations (turns out he's a prefect), I was exhausted. The time difference, because they were several hours ahead, wore me out. I didn't want to sleep; I wanted to explore! A chicken coop and pigpen sat side by side in the front yard.  
>A pond.<br>A vegetable garden, a herb garden.  
>A garage filled with Muggle objects that truly fascinated mr Weasley. There were piles upon piles of batteries.<br>A clock in the kitchen that didn't tell you the time, but where each member of the family was. Home, work, school, prison... It made me smile

Professor Turner had been right about this family; there was a lot of love here. Childrens' artwork lined the walls. Framed family photos sat in a glass cabinet.

I loved it here. I never wanted to leave. And wished that this was the home I would return to for each Christmas and summer break. This was the family I'd always dreamed of having.

I ended up crying myself to sleep.

**X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X_X**

After the first three days, my body had adjusted to the time difference and I wasn't so tired all the time. I got along best with Harry, Ginny, and Percy; the twins mostly pranked and annoyed me. From what Ron told me, they've always been like that and it was a wonder they even had friends. They were on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and pretty popular among thier year.

"What's Canada like, Ash?" Harry asked me as we ate ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch.

"It's alright, I guess." I shrugged. "It gets boring sometimes, because I'm always at the Institute."

"I know what you mean. The Dursleys never let me leave the house. So I'm always in my bedroom, to avoid Uncle Vernon and Dudley. Aunt Petunia isn't so bad, she feeds me twice a day." I watched this boy as he ate and felt bad for him. It was child abuse, what they were doing to Harry. I'd seen it happen; hell, I'd been through it.

"We're going into town!" Fred said.

"You two coming, or what?" George asked. They were identical in every way but if you actually looked closely, you would notice the calming patience in George's eyes. Fred was a thinker, a dreamer; last night he'd stared off for minutes at a time.

"Well? Are you coming, Ash-Lyn?" Fred tapped his foot impatiently.

"Yeah, sure. But wait a minute, I want to change into something cooler. It's gonna be hot today." I drank the rest of my milk before running upstairs. Ran a brush through my hair, tying it up in a ponytail. I hurried to put on a pink shirt and blue shorts, pulled my shoes back on, and ran down the stairs. Fred was waiting by the door.

"Let's go. I told them we'd catch up." We walked down the long driveway in an awkward silence.

"Do you hate me, or something?" I blurted and covered my mouth before I could say anything else.

"No, of course not! What made you think that?" Fred exclaimed, completely taken aback.

"Because you act like you do. If you have a problem with me then say it to my face." George, Harry, and Ron weren't too far ahead of us, so I ran to catch up with them.

"There you are!" Ron grinned.

"Yea. Sorry I took so long. Oh, I have some Muggle money from Professor Turner that needs to be spent." I turned to Harry, "I might need your help. I'm used to the Canadian currency."

"Sure, no problem!"

"Hey!" Fred poked my back. "Why'd you run off like that before I had the chance to talk to you?"

I shrugged and pretty much gave him the cold shoulder. The village of Ottery St Catchpole was buzzing with happy locals, and shopping tourists. Fred and George led us around for a while, until I saw an ice cream parlour.

"They any good?" I asked.

"Dunno, never tried it." George told me and I decided I wanted to buy everyone an ice cream.

"You don't have to." Fred stated as if trying to change my mind and I shot him a look.

"I'll do whatever I want." I said coldly and as soon as everyone got what they wanted I told them to wait outside while I paid. Harry, of course, stayed behind to help.

"What's going on between you and Fred? He's been acting really strange all morning."

"Nothing. I think he hates me, though." I was interrupted by the girl at the cash register and handed my small red money purse to Harry. He took out the right amount and gave it to the girl. who handed him a receipt. "We should get something for Ginny."

We ate our icecream on a bench outside of a bakery; Harry finished his last. The Dursleys never let him have treats, unless they had been tossed aside by his spoiled cousin Dudley. I closed my eyes, soaking in the sun, and yawned. When I opened them again, everyone had gone. Except Fred. I knew what this was; he was trying to get me alone so we could finish that conversation I'd run from. I chose to go along with it, see what would happen. There wasn't really much else I could do, unless I wanted to run off and get lost. That's my problem, see. I run when confronted. My years in foster care are to blame.

"I don't hate you. Okay? And I'm sorry I made you think that." he sat next to me. "We're going to be in the same year. That means a lot of the same classes."

"Ok. Let's start over then. No more pranking me. Deal?" I sighed, turning to face him.

"Deal!" he jumped to his feet and pulled me up. "C'mon, I'll take you to the gift shop. Harry said you mentioned getting Ginny something."

According to Harry, I had the equivalence of 75 Canadian dollars left. I bought matching friendship bracelets for the twins and I, and a pair of red ladybug earrings for Ginny. Harry and Ron just wanted candy, and chocolate bars. That was easy enough. We got back to the Burrow just in time for supper and I gave Ginny the earrings.

"Thank you, Ash! I love them!" Ginny hugged me, "Mum! Mum! Look what Ash gave me!"

"That was nice of her. Did you say thank you, Gin?" Mrs Weasley asked, smiling at me.

"Yeah, of course I did, Mum." Ginny rolled her eyes, pouring gravy over her mashed potatoes and peas. I sat between Percy and Fred, when Errol, the family owl, crashed into the kitchen window.

"I'll get him, Mother." Percy excused himself and came back in several minutes later. "Hogwarts letters have arrived. Yours too, Harry." he handed out the envelopes. I held mine in my hand, staring at it.

"Open it." Fred muttered as he tore his open and skimmed through the pages.

"This lot won't come cheap, Mum. The spellbooks alone are very expensive." George shook his head, handing a page to Mrs Weasley.

"We'll manage." she sighed. "Ash-Lyn, aren't you going to open your letter?"

"Yea. I'm kinda nervous." I attempted a smile, but probably ended up making a weird face.

"Here. I'll do it for you, then." Fred took my letter, slowly opening the envelope.

"Fred Weasley, you give that back right this second, young man!" Mrs Weasley scolded.


	3. Chapter Two

**FInding Home**

**Chapter Two: Magical Shopping Trip, Weasley Style**

Mrs Weasley woke us up early, and I fed chickens while Ginny collected eggs. I didn't mind doing chores; I was happy to help out in any way I could. These people were sharing thier home with me, it was the least I could do. As soon as we'd finished breakfast (eggs, toast, and bacon) I followed the boys up a hill to a padlocked shed. Fred unlocked it, and Ron rushed inside. He handed the twins thier brooms, passed one to me, and came out with his. Harry had his Nimbus 2000; I watched as they took turns on it.

"You gonna join us, or just sit there?" George asked. I've never been on a broom before. Sure, teh Institute offered lessons, but I'd never really wanted to learn. Plus, heights kinda freak me out.

"I'm fine just watching." I called and the twins sped towards me before dismounting.

"Come on, it's fun!" George grinned, nudging his brother.

"I'm fine."

"Hey, have you ever even been on a broom before? Is that it?" Asked Fred. When I didn't say anything, he took my hand and pulled me up onto his broom. Before I could protest, it rose ten feet into the air.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" I screamed, clinging on to him tightly and I clenched my eyes shut before I passed out. "Don't you dare let me fall off!"

"Not a chance! You're safe with me! Oh, and you might want to open your eyes."

"No." Curiousity got the best of me and I slowly opened my eyes, one at a time, not daring to look down just yet. "You're crazy if you think flying is fun."

"The thrill is what gets me. Now hang on!" he was grinning, I could tell by his voice. We flew around the green countryside for a while and by the time we landed at The Burrow, I didn't want to get off. He'd been right about the thrill; adrenaline rushed through my veins.

"Once you've eaten, we're going to Diagon Alley. The Grangers are meeting us at FLourish and Blotts at three." Mrs Weasley told us and I followed Fred into the kitchen. He made a ham sandwich, while I made toast with jam and butter.

"Should I bring my wand? I know you guys aren't allowed to use magic outside of school."

"You can if you want, but it would be quite pointless." Fred took a bite of his sandwich. "Stupid question, but since you live in a school year round, can you use magic whenever you want?"

"Yes, pretty much. Well, only if you're on school property." I replied and finished my toast.

"We're running late! We must leave, now!" Mrs Weasley called everyone to the kitchen and we stood around the fireplace. Harry looked a bit confused. "Alright, guests first. Ash-Lyn? Harry?"

"I'll go first. Diagon Alley, right?" I ducked under the mantel, taking a handful of Floo powder out of the jar in Mrs Weasley's hands.

"Yes, dear. We'll be right behind you." She patted my arm, and I closed my eyes so soot wouldn't get into them.

"Diagon Alley!" I stated clearly, throwing the powder into the hearth. It was quick; when I opened my eyes again, an older man stood in front of me.

"Hello, Miss. Can I help you with anything?" he asked with a smile.

"No, I'm just waiting for people. Thanks, though." Ron appeared several minutes later, followed by Percy, Fred, and George. "Where's Harry?"

"He should be here. Mum sent him right after Ron." George looked around the small room. Once Mr and Mrs Weasley arrived with Ginny we headed straight for Gringotts, the bank. And that's where we found him, talking to a giant (and I mean GIANT) bearded man and a girl with frizzy brown hair.

"Hagrid's the gamekeeper at Hogwarts. And Hermione is Ron's secret girlfriend, but you didn't hear it from me." George whispered into my ear.

"You must be Ash-Lyn! Harry and Ron have told me loads about you!" Hermione shook my hand before running off towards her parents. We followed the bank run by goblins. The layout was pretty similar to the Gringotts back home; once Mr Weasley sorted out my account we were on our way to the vaults. Harry's was first; it was filled with gold coins. And then the Weasleys'. Theirs was nearly empty, save a handful of Sickles and Knuts. I guess Professor Turner had been right about them not having lots of money.  
>I needed a trunk and an animal. I had three options - a cat, an owl, or a toad - and a chose a black male kitten from Cat!Tastrophy, the place that sold cats (obviously).<p>

"What are you going to name him?" Ginny asked me, petting his small fuzzy head.

"I'm not sure. Buddha, Binxx, Outlaw... One of those three, maybe."

"Come on, girls, We don't have long." Mrs Weasley hurried us down the cobblestone street to a second-hand robe shop. The twins went somewhere with one of thier friends, Percy needed new quills, Mr Weasley wanted to take Hermione's parents to some place called the Leaky Cauldren. Harry, Ron, and Hermione wanted to look around.

It didn't take long to find several good robes that fit Ginny, and we had plenty of time for me to be fitted by a seamstress before we met up with everyone at the bookstore. I guess there was a book signing Mrs Weasley didn't want to miss.

"Hogwarts?" a woman holding a pincushion asked.

"Yes. Ash-Lyn's an exchange student from Canada." Mrs Weasley told the woman and turned to me. "I'll be right back. Ginny, you stay here and watch our things."

"Yes, Mum." Ginny sighed as her mother left to run an errand, and I handed her the kitten.

"Right this way. I'll have you some new robes in no time." I followed her into a fitting room, where she took my measurements. And stared at me. Flat out stared. "You look very familiar. Who are your parents?"

"Don't know." I shrugged and was accidentally stabbed in the arm by a pin.

"Sorry." she apologized. "How can you not know who your own parents are?"

"Well my mother died when I was young. I don't remember my father, or their names. But just out of curiousity, who do you think I look like?"

"This may sound crazy, but you resemble a man I attended school with. Sirius Black. Like I said, it's crazy. There's no way you're... Unless..."

"Unless what?" I had a feeling this woman was a blabber mouth and couldn't keep a secret even if her life depended on it. I could use this to my advantage, and get information about a possible father.

"In our seventh year, he met and fell in love with an exchange student. Lindy. She was so beautiful! They were married not long after graduation; we'd kept in contact. Couple years later, she fell pregnant and they had a little girl. Last I heard, Sirius sent them to Canada for safekeeping. And of course I'm sure you've heard what happened to him. Such a shame." she shook her head sadly, told me my robes and three uniforms would be finished in under five minutes, and led me back to where Ginny and Mrs Weasley sat waiting.

What had happened to Sirius Black? Had he died?

I would have to ask Fred and George. They would know.

"Thank you, Lucille." Mrs Weasley paid the woman, handing me two parcels before we walked out and took a left. It seemed everyone was headed in the same direction; that author must be some big-shot. "The two of you stay together while I get these signed. Fred and George are over there."

"Yes, Mum." GInny nodded, and I followed her through the crowd of middle aged woman and teenaged girls.

"There you are, Ash!" George took hold of my arm, pulling me towards Fred and a darkskinned boy with dreadlocks.

"So _that's_ the girl you've been going on about all aummer?" he laughed. "I'm Lee Jordan. You're Ash-Lyn; I know loads about you. Fred doesn't shut about you. Ash said this, Ash did that. Frankly, I think he's got a bit of a-"

"Shut it, Jordan!" Fred hissed. His face was a deep shade of crimson, and I grinned.

"Right. Oh, there's Angelina!" Lee turned to leave, "See you on the train, Ash-Lyn."

"Well he seems fun." I nudged George, who was staring at some girl's rear end. "Don't stare, George. It's rude."

"Look! It's Gilderoy Lockhart!" Ginny pointed to a richly dressed blonde man, his deep blue robes matching a pair of arrogant and egotistical eyes. "He's so dreamy!"

"Oh, Gin..." Fred and George shook their heads in disaproval. And before I knew it, Harry had been pulled next to him for photos.

"Ladies and gentleman! What an extraordinary moment this is!" Lockhart flashed a smile, Harry looking extremely uncomfortable and embarrassed next to the man.

"Extraordinary my arse." George muttered under his breath.

"I'm going to find Mum!" Ginny rushed off into the crowd.

"I have an announcement to make, and this is the perfect opportunity!" the man blabbed on about Harry, handed him a stack of books, and continued talking. "This September, I will be taking up the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts!"

"Great, now we're stuck with him for an entire bloody year." Fred groaned in annoyance with we heard Mr Weasley arguing with someone. A man with long white hair and expensive black robes stood next to a boy Harry's age who looked exactly like him.

"What's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you for it?" the man snapped arrogantly.

"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy." Mr Weasley's ears went red; I'd noticed Ron's did the same when he got angry.

"Clearly." Well this Malfoy guy clearly thought he was all that and a bag of chips! "Associating with muggles..."

"What a prick you are, judging what you obviously don't understand. You are in no way 'better' than anyone else just because you can cast a few spells, or have lots of gold!" I glared at the man so intensely he broke eye contact first.

"Insolent brat! Come, Draco. We have errands to run." Malfoy and little baby Malfoy stalked out the door. The Weasleys, Harry, and the Grangers stared at me.

"What? It needed to be said. Magic or no magic, money or no money, we're all the same at the end of the day. Human. He's no better than anyone else."

"That's true, Ash. But it's best to ignore people like him." Mr Weasley sighed. Yea, he was one to talk... "Why don't you go find Molly? I'm sure she's looking for you."

"I'll go with her!" Fred volunteered, and I followed him through the long lines of people waiting to get books signed. I spotted Mrs Weasley instantly; she was close to the front and I stepped ahead of Fred.

"No, wait." he stopped me. "You didn't have to stand up to Malfoy like that."

"Yeah, I did. I grew up around people like him, thinking they're better than me because of my situation. Doing nothing will get you nowhere, you have to fight for what's right even if no one else agrees with you. Because if you do nothing, well, that makes you a coward. And a coward is something I don't want to be. Don't stare at me like that."

"Huh? Oh. Sorry." he shook his head. "If you don't mind, I'll fight with you. For what's right. Then you won't have to do it alone."


End file.
